


Hope

by AngleJoyce



Category: The After - Fandom
Genre: Beau is Aubrey's nickname, F/F, Lesbian Characters, Original Character(s), Small Chapters In The Beginning, Strangers to Lovers, Zombie Apocalypse, also there's a dog
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24688294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngleJoyce/pseuds/AngleJoyce
Summary: It's gonna be a bit vague in the first few chapters, but everything will all make sense soon! I'm trying to get to the plot as fast as I can.Please let me know in the comments what you think!
Relationships: Beau/Delilah
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's gonna be a bit vague in the first few chapters, but everything will all make sense soon! I'm trying to get to the plot as fast as I can.
> 
> Please let me know in the comments what you think!

_**Huff...** _

**_Huff..._**

_**Huff...**_

She was cold. Scared. Starving. 

When was the last time she had eaten something? She couldn't remember.

She has more important thing to deal with right now. Always now.

Every day was a battle.

She knew that that probably wouldn't change, ever.

That's what made it all more difficult.

* * *

_"Aubrey, what's happening?" His voice was high pitched, trembling with fear and confusion. He didn't know what was going on and that made him even more terrified. His arms tightened around Brownie's neck, hugging the dog closer to him._

_"I don't know," Aubrey admitted. "But everything will be okay. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."_

_The boy looked up at his sister, his reddish brown hair falling into his face. "Promise you'll stay with me forever?" He held up his pinkie finger._

_Aubrey closed her pinkie around his._ _"Promise."_

That promise was broken not long after it was made.

* * *

"Brownie!" Beau whisper-hissed at her dog, who was currently distracted by chasing a mouse, tail wagging immensely. "Come here, boy. I don't want to lose you out of my sight."

The dog obeyed, not really bothered by the fact that he had to let the mouse escape him. He barked, and Beau shushed him, patting his head.

"Ssh, it's okay," she murmured. "Let's find shelter for tonight, alright?" 

Brownie licked her hand in reply. 

* * *

By the time the sun started to settle down, Beau had - fortunately - found a small gas station. It was probably abandoned, like all the other houses and towns she had passed since this all started.

She gripped her bat tighter, entering the gas station as silent as she could. Her dog followed, walking without making a sound. He was used to this by now, it was the only way to survive. There could still be some walkers around. 

And Beau never let her guard down.

The lights were off, as expected. All electricity was cut down, had been for a few months now.

She grabbed her flashlight from her jeans pocket, turning it on and sneaking around to see if there was any danger. There wasn't, so she started to barricade the front and back doors, knowing how to perfectly by now. Once everything was in place and safe, she allowed herself to relax a bit.

She moved to sit down behind the what-used-to-be cashier counter. Her dog followed her, then lied beside her. She smiled again, wider this time. "Want some food?"

The dog's head immediately perked up and his tail started wagging. The girl grinned softly, then let her backpack slide off her shoulders. She settled it on the ground beside her and grabbed one of the dog food cans, ones she had found along the way. She opened the can and grabbed the small plate she also kept ik her backpack. 

Setting down the plate, she emptied the can of dog food on top of it, and when she was done, Brownie immediately started eating from it.

Beau found herself smiling more at that. She'd always make sure Brownie got to eat. Always.

Her dog was one of the very few things that kept her going on, that kept her fighting, that kept her on both her feet. Maybe he was the only thing that kept her going.

She scratched the dog behind one of his ears as he ate and the dog wagged its tail more. 

"Good boy," she said softly. She closed her eyes and let herself finally rest for the first time in days.

* * *

Beau started awake with a gasp, her eyes snapping open. She panted heavily, looking around her, immediately alert.

Her eyes fell on her dog next to her, who was sleeping peacefully, and she managed to calm down a bit, her breaths steadying. 

Another nightmare. She sighed and let her head fall back against the wall gently.

She wished that everything would just go back to _normal_.

Who would have thought that the end of humanity would be caused by humanity itself.

It started with a virus. It was a new one, a lot like the regular flu. Within 3 months, more than 75% of the world's population had been infected. And it just kept going. When scientists and doctors had somewhat managed to make a cure, it seemed to work - at first. 

The cure was given to everyone who was willing to take it. But not even a few weeks later, the "formerly infected" started melting, mutating... They weren't human any more, they turned into monsters. And it was absolutely terrifying. Everyone panicked. People who hadn't taken the vaccination still got infected by the mutated. That was 4 months ago.

And that was how it all started.

Now, those corpses, those mutated bodies, they roamed the Earth. And Beau was sure that by now, more than 90% had turned. Maybe even more. Because since all of this started, since she got separated from her family, her friends, everyone... Well. Since then, she hadn't seen another "normal person". 

...It was just her and her dog.

So far, all alone...


End file.
